The Great Mistake
by DizniPrinzess
Summary: They were supposed to get over it and move on, but life had other plans. Bamon AH/AU
1. Not As Planned

**Disclaimer: I don't own TVD or it's characters. Those rights go specifically to it's owners. Only the story is mine.**

 **A/N: So this is based off a dream I had, but embellish to make it interesting and edited to make logical sense.**

* * *

"I don't know Care, Damon's been acting weird for _months_ and at first I thought it had to do with his father passing, but now I'm not so sure." Elena stares at the bar noticing the absence of the one person who normally would be there and then turns back to Caroline. "I mean I expected him to distant, but you know more in the lash out sarcastic kind way he does, but he just—" She let out a frustrated sigh. "He just seems empty and I don't get it. He wasn't that close to his father—in fact, he despised him—so why is he taking his death this hard?" She threw her hands up and slammed them against the table.

Caroline reaches over and grabs Elena's hand and squeezes gently. "I don't know sweetie. Honestly, when it comes to Damon and his emotions I'm kinda clueless about them. I mean I'm more shocked that he actually _has_ emotions."

"Alright, mushroom burger with extra cheese, French fries and a side of ranch." The waitress puts the aforementioned food in front of Elena. "And a grilled chicken salad with dressing on the side." The waitress put Caroline's order in front of her. "Okay, do you guys need anything else?"

"No, we're good," Elena says with a tinge of melancholy in her voice. She then takes a fry and dips it in ranch before putting it in her mouth to eat.

Caroline looks at her with an expression of disgust. "You know that's just gonna go straight to your thighs, right?"

"Don't care, especially not right now." Elena's expression drops suddenly and she just stares down at her food.

Caroline rolls her eyes and with an exasperated sigh, "Alright enough with the pity party just go over to his place and talk to him. You are getting way too sad over something that _might_ be wrong. Once you have all the answer _then_ feel bad for yourself, not _before_." She then forks her salad and begins eating.

"You see this is why I go to Bonnie. She lets me air out what ever I'm feeling and is actually _considerate_ about them."

"Well don't blame me. It's not my fault she's been MIA for the last six months." Caroline's face falls as she considers her last statement. Bonnie left six months ago with a word or any warning. They just came home to their shared dorm to find all of her stuff gone. She hasn't tried to communicate with them since. They thought maybe somebody kidnapped her, so they went to the police, but there was nothing they could do. Apparently, she'd made contact with her parents so she wasn't a missing person. She just didn't want to talk to them. Caroline got mad just thinking about it.

"She'll contact us when she's ready," Elena said quietly.

* * *

Damon sat in his large empty home staring aimlessly at the fireplace. He hears the rain outside and it serves as the perfect background noise for his mood. As much as he hated to admit it, he was sulking. He hated sulking—that was his brother's thing, but since the incident that led to his best friend disappearing from everyone's lives including his, he hasn't been the same. He feels like he's missing something and Bonnie took it when she left. He doesn't understand why to begin with—he loves Elena, she should be everything he wants and needs, but she isn't. He needs more—he had more and he screwed it up.

Now he has a girlfriend and no one to talk to that understands him. _This is why you don't sleep with your friends_ , he thought bitterly. He was never one to take sex seriously. To him, it was just something you did and if someone read more into it that was their fault, not his. So naturally, when he slept with his best friend over eight months ago he didn't think much would come of it. He thought he'd feel guilty for a little while for cheating on Elena and then life would go back to normal—but it didn't—life definitely resumed, but not how he intended for it.

To start with things between him and Bonnie got very awkward—they couldn't even stay in the same room for long and when they did they couldn't make eye contact. It was getting unbearable and he was going to do something about it and talk to her, but when he got to her dorm room he found Elena crying. Apparently, he had missed his opportunity to patch things up. He comforted Elena as best as he could and when he got home he found a note on the door. _"_ _ **I'm sorry"**_ was all that was written and it was enough to thoroughly confuse him.

Sure thing had reached unknown territory, but that didn't seem like enough to warrant leaving and _what the hell is she sorry for_. Last time he checked it takes two to tango and if anybody was more at fault it was him. He didn't need to drag her down into his depression. He just did. He'd avoided Elena and Stefan with their probing questions about his feelings and just took comfort in Bonnie. She was the only one who knew how to deal with him.

There was something oddly easy about confiding in someone who always expects the worst of you. That's how their friendship started. She would judge him for some wrong deed he did and he would brush it off with sarcasm. It eventually got to the point where he wouldn't hide anything just to get a reaction out of her and then that change. They were stuck together in a blackout with absolutely no way of getting out. It wasn't quite _The_ _Breakfast Club_ type of bonding, but they both got a better understanding of each other and from that day on their teasing became more about having fun than hurting the other.

So right after the funeral while everybody was patronizing him about his feelings, she simply acted as though nothing had changed like he was the same person he was before his father died and he appreciated that more than words can say. It's not until booze entered the equation that things got complicated.

She had gotten under his skin, got him vulnerable enough to talk about Giuseppe and his abuse and he couldn't have that. That's why he kissed her and then kissed her some more and when she started trying to bring logic and reason into the mix all he had to say was, " _aren't you curious about the fire between us?_ " for her to give in and explore the fire she felt every time they argued about something. She wasn't there when he woke up the next morning and though part of him was relieved it still hurt.

He was about to get another glass of bourbon when he heard his front door slam shut. _Apparently, someone's in a worse mood than me,_ he thought as he heard angry steps coming toward him. By the click of the heels, he discerned that it was Elena—she was the only person besides Stefan who had a key and Stefan hadn't taken up cross-dressing as far as he knew so it had to be Elena.

"Damon!" Her footsteps got closer. "Damon!"

"I'm in here," he says while rolling his eyes. "There's no need to shout."

Elena walks through the archway into the living room where Damon is sitting on the couch. "Well, how else was I supposed to know where you were? It's a big house." She flops onto the couch right next to him.

"Elena, there are three rooms in this house I'm only ever in—I'm pretty sure you would've found me at some point—no need to disturb the quiet." He gives her one of his signature smirks.

"Well sorry my shouting interrupted your daily brooding session next time I'll be more considerate," she snaps at him as she gets up from the couch.

"Wait," he sighs out of frustration.

"Why? You're obviously in a mood again and don't want me here." She crosses her arms and cocks her hip to the side.

"I didn't say that."

"You don't have to."

"Come here. Just sit with me." He opens his arm to her for her to lie against him. Elena thinks about it for a moment, but then rolls her eyes and concedes—she came here with a purpose in mind, she's not just going to give up because he's being difficult again.

Elena tucks herself into Damon's side and he wraps his arm around her. Once Elena gets comfortable she looks up at him. "What's been going on with you lately?"

Damon looks down at her with a puzzled look on his face. "What do you mean?"

She scoffs at him and breaks their embrace, "What do you mean, what do I mean? You've been distant and you _know_ it. You don't talk to me anymore and a lot of the time it feels like you don't even want me around anymore."

"Elena that's not…" he pauses in thought, he doesn't know what to tell her so he says the only thing he can think of. "There's absolutely nothing going on with me Elena. I think you're just reading into things."

"Bullshit!" She stands up enraged. "Look I know you took your father's death harder than we both expected, but seriously this can't be it. I want to know why you're pushing me out of life," she demands as tears are almost forming in her eyes.

He just stares at her trying to think of a response. There's an awkward silence that he's pretty sure has been going on for at least ten minutes. Right as he's about to speak the doorbell rings. _Saved by the bell_ , he thinks as he bolts to the door to greet his savior.

He doesn't know what to believe when he opens the door. Her back is turned to him and she seemed to be hunched over, but he could still tell by her silhouette that it was Bonnie—his Bonnie, the one who left him six months ago, but he wasn't going to believe it until he saw her face. His mind could be playing tricks on him, so he approaches her slowly. When he gets to her gently lays his hand on her shoulder and whispers, "Bonnie."

She takes a breath before turning her head to face him. There are tears in her eyes when she looks up at him. She tries to speak, but her mouth is quivering too much.

Damon lets out the breath he didn't know he was holding. Her hair is a bit longer and her face is a little fuller, but it was her, it was Bonnie and he was about to spin her around so he could hug her, but she stops him.

"Wait!" She pushes him back. "Wait," she says softer. "I need to tell you something first."

Damon simply furrows his brows in response, but still, continues toward her.

She pushes him again. "No, really," she says through gritted teeth. "I need to make sure you don't freak out before…" her voice trails off.

"Before what, Bonnie? What's going on?"

"I'm…I'm pregnant," she whispers too low for him to hear.

"You're what?"

"I'm pregnant!" She turns around giving him a full view of her heavily pregnant form.

* * *

His mouth opens, but he can't form words. He's honestly having a hard time processing it. He has so many questions running through his head, but the main one that keeps sticking is _why did she leave? Why did she leave?_ They could have worked something out.

"Damon?" He's brought out of his thoughts by Elena's voice behind him. "Damon who's at the door?" He doesn't get a chance to respond before she's coming out of the front door and sees who their night time visitor is.

Elena gasps in surprise and tears are almost forming at the sight of her missing best friends. "Bonnie!" She pays no mind to Damon as she all but runs over and hugs her. She doesn't notice something's wrong until Bonnie grips her with a strength she didn't know the girl had and quickly pulls away in pain. It's then that she notices the massive bulge in front of her friend and how her arms cradle it in pain.

"Oh my god!"

Bonnie looks up at Elena and nods in concurrence. "Yeah, Oh my god."

"Are you alright?" The girl looked like she was in pain.

"Yeah, I'm fine it's just Braxton-Hicks. I've been having them a lot lately." Bonnie catches her breath and stands up straight.

"Let's get you inside and out of the rain." Elena tries to support Bonnie, but she pushes her away.

"I'm not an invalid," she says as she walks past Elena.

Elena is about to follower her when remembers Damon. "You coming?"

"Yeah, I'll be right behind you." Elena nods and goes inside.

He rakes his hands through his hair and lets a heavy breath out. "Fuck!" Of all the many screw ups in his life, this one was the most unexpected. Though he's made sense of some things like her leaving and the note, he's still quite confused. Why did she keep this from him? He understands her reluctance with telling others, but why him? This affected him too. And if she was so adamant about no one knowing why did she come back?

Damon realizes he's not going to get any answers standing on his porch in the cold rain, so he goes in after them. He finds them in the living room. Bonnie's hunched over again and Elena's squatting right in front of her looking at her watch.

When Bonnie let's out a breath of relief Elena looks up at Damon. "Can you pull the car around I think we need to take her to the hospital?" Damon's forehead skews in confusion.

"No! I'm fine Elena, seriously. They're just practice contractions."

Elena takes her head between her hands. "Bonnie I think you're in labor. They're too regular."

"But my water hasn't broken."

"Yet. If textbooks are correct you are definitely in labor."

"It's too early. Just because you're pre-med doesn't make you a doctor."

"No, but that doesn't mean you should ignore my advice. We should go just to be safe. What's so wrong about going to the hospital?"

"Because I didn't mean to come here for this!" She's starting to have a panic attack. "God, I screwed up so much!" Bonnie's face floods with panic tears. Damon just watches in shock in the corner. He's too drunk to handle this.

"Calm down Bonnie. You're going to be fine once we get you to a hospital."

"No, it's not going to be fine! I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I just wanted to come here and tell Damon. Not go in labor and definitely not have you be so nice to me." Her body is wracked in sobs.

Elena rubs Bonnie's back to console her while her face scrunches in confusion. _Why would she want to tell Damon, I'm her best friend? And why would she think I'd be mean to her?_

Elena freezes as the realization dawns on her. Tears start forming in her own eyes along with Bonnie. She looks to Damon. "This is why, isn't it?"

Damon doesn't respond, but the guilty look tells her it all. She looks down at Bonnie and sees the same look reflected. It's enough to thoroughly piss her off.

Elena gets up from her spot and angrily walks toward Damon and starts hitting him. "What is wrong with you! MY BEST FRIEND?! You are fucking miserable, cheating asshole!"

Damon doesn't do much to defend himself, but it's enough to wake him from his stupor and block any real damage. Bonnie's loud yell alerts both of them and they stop in their tracks. The look over to her and find her hunched so far over that her head is almost between her knees.

Elena huffs in annoyance. "Get the car." She says sternly and he complies. Elena walks over to Bonnie. "Don't think you're getting out of this. I don't forgive you or anything, but we need to get you to a doctor."

"I understand," she says while nodding. Elena helps her up to walk out to the front where Damon has the car running. Elena opens the car door for Bonnie and helps her into Damon's Camero.

Elena bends down to glare at Damon. "Get her to the hospital."

"You're not coming with us?"

"To the birth of the love child between my best friend and my boyfriend? No thanks, I'll pass." She slams the door in both of their faces.

* * *

They're about halfway to the hospital when Damon decides to break the silence. "You couldn't have told me this before you left?" That was something that had been festering him since he found out she was pregnant moments ago.

"It was too complicated," she says somberly.

"Trust me I'm aware of that, but how is this any better?"

"It's not!" she yells in frustration. "But I had to tell you. I realized I made a mistake and was trying to fix it the best way I could." She implores him to understand.

"Well, you're off to a great start."

Bonnie rolls her eyes at him but is caught by a really strong contraction. She braces herself against the dashboard. She's breathing in and out fast as it wracks her entire body. And that's when she feels it, a snap that causes liquid to seep out very slowly between her legs. Her face scrunches in disgust at the feeling.

"Ew."

Damon looks over to her in a panic. "What, what is it?"

"My water just broke."

"On my seats?!"

"Yeah, and if you don't hurry up there will be a lot worse on them."

Damon presses his foot on the gas a little bit harder. He definitely didn't want placenta on his leather seats.

* * *

They made it with time to spare. When the doctor told her that she was only 6 centimeters dilated and that it could be a while she groaned in frustration, but she was happy that they gave her an epidural immediately. Damon stayed outside of the room for that.

This was definitely not how she had planned any of this going. As her due date approached she felt guilt—guilt that Damon would never know, guilt about Elena, and guilt that she had let it come to this in the first place. This was the only one thing she could change, so she got in her car and drove all the way from Atlanta to Mystic Falls. She knew it was risky this late in her pregnancy, but she still had time. Her due date wasn't for another two weeks.

Damon had yet to come back even though the doctors left ten minutes ago. She couldn't help the niggling in her brain that was telling her that he wasn't ever coming back, but that was quickly quelled when he came in two minutes later with a cup of ice.

"I saw it on TV once that ice chips help," he says timidly while handing it to her.

"Thanks," she grabs the cup and puts it on the tray in front of her.

Damon scoots the chair closer to her bed and sits in it. He runs his hands over his face. "This has been a long day."

"And only going to get longer."

"Yeah." He sits back in contemplation. "So how were you planning on hiding this from me forever? I mean you couldn't have just stayed with your mother forever and think we wouldn't notice"

"Wow, you waste no time just straight it."

"Yeah, well, tonight's taught me it's necessary."

She gives him a half-hearted smile. "I was going to give her up."

"Her?" He feels something in the pit of his stomach knowing he's having a daughter.

"Yeah, her."

There's a pause as he imagines his little girl.

"Are you still giving her up?" He doesn't quite know what he wants the answer to be. Too much too fast had happened.

"No, I can't. I love her too much, she's a part of me that I'm too selfish to give up. That's why I came to you, to tell you. I couldn't keep her and not have you at least know about her."

Damon just nods digesting what Bonnie had just told him. It was all so overwhelming. He planned to spend his night sulking over bourbon because he missed his best friend. Now that she was back and pregnant with his daughter and he didn't quite know how to take it.

"Well, what do we do now?"

"Figure it out as we go along?"

"Sounds like a plan." He sits back and kicks his feet up on the bed. He grabs the remote from her tray and flips the TV on something mindless—it was going to be a long night.

* * *

 **A/N: So I planned on this being a oneshot, but this felt like the natural ending so it's just going to be a two parter.**


	2. It's a Choice

**A/N: So this chapter and story is longer than I expected, it's now three parts instead of two. It also took me a little bit longer because I realized I had a little too much Elena, but what can I say it's so much easier for me to write the "women scorn". This is one of my first forays on the other side. The italics are flashbacks.**

* * *

 _She finds him in the living room sitting on the couch staring blankly at the fireplace. She pays him no mind as she walks over to the decanter of bourbon and pours two glasses. When she hands him the glass he finally speaks._

" _Didn't you get the memo, I want to be left alone right now."_

" _Didn't_ you _get memo, I'm your best friend and not easily deterred." She raises her eyebrow to challenge him, but he doesn't accept. He just takes the glass from her hand as she sits right next to him._

" _I don't want to talk about it." She flops back on the couch taking a drink._

" _I didn't ask you to."_

" _Then why are you here." He looks to her curiously._

 _Bonnie stares at her glass somberly. "Because I knew you'd need some company."_

 _Damon pats her thigh and leaves it there. "Thank you, BonBon."_

" _I'm just being a good friend."_

" _I know and I'm thanking you for that."_

 _Bonnie pulls into herself in tepidness—she's not used to compliments from him. She then gulps down her glass and scrunches her face at the burning in her throat. "So how about a drinking game?"  
_

* * *

Elena walks into her door room slamming the door behind her startling Caroline in the process.

"I take it things didn't go well," Caroline says sympathetically.

Elena scoffs and starts pacing around the doom. "Understatement, big, big understatement."

"What happened?"

She stops in her tracks. "I don't even know how to describe what happened! Things went from bad to worse to complete shit. Ugh! I've never been so angry!" She starts pacing again.

"Alright sweetie, let's start from the beginning. What happened when you talked to him?"

"Nothing, as usual, he avoided my questions and when I confronted him about that the _doorbell_ rang." She lets out a growl thinking about who was at the door.

"Alright who was at the door?" Caroline asks cautiously.

Elena laughs humorlessly. "Ah yes, who was at the door? None other than our estranged and backstabbing best friend _Bonnie Bennett_."

Caroline gasps. "Are you sure? She hasn't talked to us in six months and the first place she goes to is Damon's? That doesn't sound like her."

"Well, neither does getting pregnant at 19."

"What?"

"Yeah, I couldn't believe it either and she was standing right there."

"Wow." Caroline stares at her wide-eyed in shock. "But that still doesn't explain why she went to Damon's"

"I'll give you one guess."

Caroline furrows her brow in confusion as she mulls over the information she was just given. Bonnie was back, not only was she back, but she was apparently pregnant. Her mind was having issues processing that information, but then she cleared her mind and thought of it logically and the conclusion she came to was even harder to believe… _backstabbing best friend._ She looks up at Elena shaking her head.

"No, it can't be. Damon, yes, but Bonnie? She would never do something like that."

"Or so I thought." Elena throws her arms in the air and then pulls them to head raking her hands through her hair. "I mean Damon doesn't have the greatest track record, but I thought he loved me..." tears start forming "…and Bonnie…" she starts breaking into uncontrollable sobs "…Bonnie was supposed to be better than this." She flops down on the bed next to Caroline. "How could this happen?"

Caroline holds her while she cries. "I don't know. Your guess is as good as mine."

"I mean I was happy when they finally started to get along, but this? God, I wonder how long they were going behind my back?"

"At this point anything's possible." They sit in silence for a moment processing everything that just happened. "What did you say to them?"

"Nothing. I was too angry to say anything really I just remember hitting Damon a lot and I didn't get a chance to say anything to Bonnie because she was in labor and we had to get her to the hospital."

"So you're telling me that you just came back from the birth of your cheating boyfriend and ex-best friend?"

"God no I let him take care of that. I don't even know if she's had the baby yet."

"Good, for a second there I thought you lost your mind." They both giggle at Caroline's statement.

* * *

 _We can't…_

 _Just one night…_

 _Yes…_

Bonnie groans as she wakes up from her hazy slumber due to a contraction. Damon sits up immediately ready to attend to whatever's wrong.

"Are you alright?"

Bonnie looks at her surroundings until her eyes land on the clock in the corner. She surmises that she's only been asleep for two hours and in the hospital for two and a half. The epidural made her numb from the waist down but also was making her brain a little foggy. She groans again grabbing ahold of her swollen middle.

"Are you in pain?" Damon asks with a concerned look on his face.

"Nah, no, it's just…weird. I can feel my muscles pulling, but I can't feel the pain."

"Well that's good," Damon says unsure of himself.

"It's very good," Bonnie tries to say with conviction, but voice is a little slurred. Damon sits back in his chair and goes back to watching the TV.

"You know karma really is real." Bonnie's mind is fuzzy making her control over her what she says low.

"Huh."

"I mean seriously, the universe decided to give Damon "womanizer" Salvatore a daughter and from cheating no less."

He snorts. "Well, what about you? Where does your karma come in? I'm not the only guilty one here."

"I had to carry your daughter for nine months trust me it wasn't easy!" She's near shouting right now speech still slurred.

He smiles at her amused. "Oh please tell me about how hard that was."

"Very, I haven't seen my feet in months."

"You know if it wasn't for way tonight went I'd probably be making fun of you more. You have no idea how funny your tiny body looks with that giant belly of yours."

Bonnie smacks him across the chest. "Oh trust me I know." They both dissolve into a fit of laughter which then turns to a comfortable silence. They both go back to avoiding the elephant in the room.

Bonnie's mind is going to a million things at once thinking about how she's spent her time away in Atlanta, but it keeps landing on the same thing. "I'm such a bad friend." She whines.

Damon snorts, "No you're not."

She looks at him with annoyance. "Really?" She motions to her pregnant belly.

"Okay, maybe you're not the greatest friend in the world, but you're the best one I've ever had."

"How can you say that? I was going to give your child away without telling you and I messed up things with you and Elena."

"Yeah I'm still pissed at that, but now isn't the time. However, _I_ screwed everything up between me and Elena. You weren't her boyfriend, you didn't commit to her."

"Yeah, but I'm her best friend, _was_ her best friend, that's life commitment." Her voice breaks into sobs. "God a drinking game, what the hell was I thinking?"

"You were trying to help like you always do."

"And that worked out great for both of us."

* * *

 _They were playing "never have I ever" and both were thoroughly sloshed. Bonnie had surprised him during the game, she had done a lot more than he had expected like that she shoplifted or that she had had sex in a public place._

 _She doesn't quite know when the game turned into just talking, but he was opening up about Giuseppe._

" _I didn't even like the bastard! I don't understand why it matters to me that he's dead."_

" _Because he's still your dad. He was a big part of your life and now he suddenly isn't. Change good or bad is hard to deal with." She looks at him with understanding and then puts her hand on his shoulder. "It's okay to have emotions. You're not weak for feeling sad about your father's death."_

 _He looks at her with tears forming in his eyes and then something snaps. Before she can protest his mouth is on hers and he's pushing her down so that she's lying flat on the floor with him on top of her._

 _They kiss for a good thirty seconds before Bonnie gains her sense and pushes him away. "Damon we can't."_

" _Says who?" He dips down to try and kiss her again but she ducks away._

" _Me, your my best friend's boyfriend. I can't do that to Elena." She looks into his eyes imploring him to understand._

 _He lets out a long sigh and bows his head in exhaustion. "Just one night," he whispers and the looks into her eyes. "Can we have one night where you're not Bonnie Bennett and I'm not the sulking idiot whose father just died? We're just two people with a lot of chemistry and explosive fire that we can finally explore." He runs his fingers down her cheek. "Aren't you curious?"_

 _He's looking at her intensely and she can't help but feel the electricity between them—and electricity that she always felt but his personality always got in the way. There's turmoil in her head because in this moment she wants to, she can feel the heat between their bodies and she wants to do something about it, but she knows it's wrong on so many levels. But then he grinds his crotch against her throbbing middle and all logic goes out the window. "Yes," she sighs as she pulls his mouth down on hers. She's curious, very curious and her alcohol-fueled brain wasn't going to deny her. She knows she'll regret it later, but there's a part of her that will regret it if she doesn't. As the saying goes_ curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.

* * *

Bonnie feels another contraction waking her up again, but this time with the urge to push accompanying it. They're coming more frequently causing it to be harder for her to go back to sleep. She concedes to staying awake because she knows soon she'll have to push. She looks over to Damon who hasn't moved from his spot and shifts to relieve the uncomfortable feeling.

"Did you call my mom?"

"Yeah, she said she'll be here by tomorrow or today depending how you look at it." It was a little past midnight. They had been in the hospital for five hours and sitting around waiting was getting to be boring.

"Good. Did you call Stefan?" She say timidly.

"That would be a no."

"I get it." Bonnie looks down slightly dejected.

"I just didn't know what to tell him. _Hey, I'm having a kid right now with Bonnie who I cheated on my girlfriend with about nine months ago._ And blah, blah, blah. There was a lecture surely to come that can wait."

"I said I get it. It's all a little much."

"You can say that again." Things go silent again. They stare mindlessly in different directions.

"So what's been going on since I left?" Bonnie decides to break the silence with that.

"Umm nothing much, at least that I know of. I've pretty much just spent the last six months drunk so my brother could have ran off to Vegas to become a drag queen and came back married to a stripper and I wouldn't know." Bonnie gives him a confused look. "The point is I'm not really the best person for that question."

"Why have you been drunk for six months?"

"Because there was nothing else to do."

She snorts, "Really, nothing else to do? Not hang out with your girlfriend, go to class, parties, you know all the things you could find to do before I left."

"I don't know…they just…didn't seem like something I wanted to do anymore."

"Wow, your dad dying really affected you."

"Huh?"

"Your dad, I mean you were different when he died but you weren't that close so I assumed you'd get over it."

"I did get over it."

"Then why haven't done anything but drink."

"Can we talk about something else like how you ran off pregnant with my child and no intentions of telling me she even existed?"

"There you go deflecting, as usual, can't even handle a simple question."

"I don't see you answering my question."

"Because I asked first and I already explained that to you." Her voice rises.

"Except you didn't, you just told me what you planned to do, you never told me why."

There's a heavy silence in the air of unspoken truths. They let it sit there permeating the air with guilt and feeling neither were ready to face.

"How are we doing?" Dr. Fell comes in with Bonnie's chart in hand breaking their silence. Both Bonnie and Damon sit up.

"I'm fine though the contractions are coming more frequently it's a little uncomfortable."

"I'm glad to hear that epidural is doing wonders." She shifts her attention to the monitors and jots something down in the chart. She then puts on gloves and walks over to the end of the bed. "Alright, Bonnie I'm going to check to see how far along you are." She doesn't know why she explaining this, it's the same thing every time she checks on her.

Dr. Fell lifts the blanket over her legs and puts her hand in checking her cervix. "It looks like you're going to the delivery room." She says with a smile. "Ready to have your baby?"

It's a loaded question for both of them and panic starts to rise in Bonnie, and Damon just stares at her in shock. "We don't really have much of a choice," Damon says.

"Will dad be joining us in the delivery room?" she says as she gets the orderlies to release the breaks on Bonnie's bed to take her to the delivery room. They seemed young and unmarried so she didn't want to assume anything.

Bonnie opens her mouth unsure of what to say thinking about their fight just before the doctor came in, but then Damon speaks up for himself, "Yes!"

Bonnie looks over to him, "Really?"

"Yes really. I may be scared and this is definitely unexpected, but you only get to watch your first child be born once." Bonnie smile's at his answer.

* * *

 _It had been a few_ _weeks since what she was now dubbing_ the incident _happened and Bonnie couldn't have felt worse. She couldn't look Elena or even Caroline in the eye, so she spent her time in the library. It became her sanctuary when the guilt was just too much to handle. She considered telling her just to sate the guilt but felt that was too selfish. It would do nothing but hurt Elena and if she could avoid that at all costs she would. She had already done the worst thing a best friend could do and it was up to her to live with that._

 _Things with Damon got progressively worse. Without any real effort she steered clear of him. She was his friend, but that had blurred beyond repair. Avoiding him wasn't as hard as she thought it would be until she came home one night and found him and Elena going at it in her bed._

" _Don't you two have a giant house with_ rooms _with privacy to do that in? You could have at least put a sock on the door."_

 _She knew she didn't have the right but her anger flared._

" _Sorry Bon, we got a little carried away." She gives them both a tight lipped smile and leaves slamming the door._

 _Being angry at Damon wasn't a foreign concept for her, but being angry at him for simply being with his girlfriend was. From then on she avoided the dorm room completely. She still lived there, but she made sure only to be home when no one else was._

 _Weeks passed by and her guilt at her to the point that it was affecting her health. She was tired all the time, had been throwing up and didn't have much of an appetite. To top it all off she had started to look like death—her skin had started to look pale with a sheen of ghostly white that alarmed even her. Seeing the visible changes in her friend Caroline dragged her to the doctors. There she got the most disturbing news she could have imagined. She was pregnant with her best friend's baby. When she got out Caroline asked her how it went. Bonnie promptly lied and said she was just stress._

 _She thought about aborting it. Went to the clinic and everything but sitting there in the waiting room she realized that that wasn't what she wanted at all. She wasn't sure about being a mother, but she knew with absolute certainty that she didn't want to get rid of it. It already felt like it was a part of her, the only person there to keep her company during the time she felt so alone in the library._

 _She doesn't know how she's going to tell anyone. She was trying to avoid hurting Elena but life had slipped her this curveball. She decides to tell Damon first. That seemed like the best first step. When she's knocks on the door of the house she hadn't visited in months Elena is the one that answers._

 _She doesn't know why she feels surprised by this she was his girlfriend after all and it's not like Bonnie called ahead of time, but it does. She walks in and finds that Elena's making dinner. She wanted Damon to help but it seemed like he was content just watching her flutter about while her drank himself into an early grave._

 _The scene was an eye opener watching them smiling and laughing—she was going to shatter both of them. She couldn't do it so she packed up her things, left a note and ran away to Atlanta where her mother who she hadn't seen in quite some time lived. She figured she owed it to her._

 _In the months preceding Abby all but smothers Bonnie in unwanted affection. She appreciates it, but it's all a little too little too late. She watches as her stomach grows and gets accustomed to never being alone. She finds an adoption agency and even finds the perfect couple, but every time she tries to set up a meeting with them something holds her back. Anxiety takes over and she immediately puts the phone down._

 _Abby finds her crying on the bathroom floor papers in front of her phone by her side. "What's wrong baby?"_

 _Bonnie just shakes her head back and forth teary-eyed. "I can't do it mom."_

 _Abby gets down on the floor with her and hugs her to her side rubbing Bonnie's arms gently. "I know sweetie and that's why you're giving her up."_

" _No, I can't give her up," she turns her head into her mother's shoulder crying more._

" _Do you really think you can be a mom? Trust me it's not easy. What do you know about being someone's mother?" she says as gently as possible, but it still angers her daughter._

" _What do you know about being a mother?" she all but shouts._

 _Abby sighs "Alright I earned that but that doesn't mean I'm wrong. Do you really think you're ready for this?"_

 _Bonnie shakes her head. "No," she whispers. "But I have to be."_

" _You don't have to be anything unless you want to. You don't have to do this. You can go back to college, back to your life and do this when you're ready."_

" _But I do. I want my baby. She's a part of me and I can't just give that away. I tried but I can't do it"_

* * *

 _I can't do it…_

It wasn't as dramatic or painful as television made it out to be. She felt pressure and a burning sensation when she crowned and the shoulders came out, but most of her exhaustion and pain came from pushing itself. She made a note that if she had any more kids definitely go with the drugs.

Damon stayed right by her side encouraging her as she went along. He only looked once and that was enough for him to know not to look down there again. He was surprised that he didn't faint through the entire thing because he was definitely not prepared for his day to go like this.

But one thing did remain as expected. The love both of them felt when they saw their daughter. Everything locked in place and all the humiliation and shame she felt was suddenly worth it. And all of the sulking he spent months doing finally had a purpose. The missing piece came back.

"Oh my God she's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." Bonnie says with tears in her eyes.

"I know," he whispers in awe.

"It's so weird that came out of me, she's so much smaller than I imagined."

"Well at six pounds seven ounces she is a little on the small side, but otherwise perfectly healthy," a nurse who walks in says. They both look to her with curious eyes. "Hi I'm Nurse Heather and I'm here to help you with breastfeeding. Have you thought much about it? It's great for bonding."

Bonnie is taken a little off guard. "Yeah I wanted to try, but I heard it hurts."

"It can at first, but after you get used to it it'll be like nothing." The nurse proceeds in and walks over to Bonnie. "Awe, she's so beautiful."

"Thanks" they say in unison. If there was one thing they could agree on by the end of today it was that.

"Does this little one have a name?" Both Damon and Bonnie look at her with guilty looks. Truth was neither of them really had enough time to think about a name, but it was on their long list of to-dos. "I'll take that as a no."

The nurse then proceeds to instruct Bonnie on how to get her baby to latch. It's the first time Damon has ever looked at a woman's breast with rapt attention and not been aroused by it. No, he was in fact fascinated with his daughter and watching her learn simple things such as eating. The feeling takes him by surprise—babies never much interested him ever. They were tiny being that he made sure to steer clear of, but now that he had one he still felt like he should steer clear of her but for different reasons. He was sure that someone like him should never be near a baby—he'd corrupt it. He thought he was doing better with his ways while he was with Elena, but then he cheated on her and he realized nothing had changed. He was still his old self and that person should be anywhere near a kid. But he looks over to them both mother and child and feels something stronger that causes more fear in him at the idea of leaving them.

When the baby's fed and both mother and child are napping he decides to step out for fresh air. There was just too much to process and so little sleep. He decides coffee is what he needs.

* * *

Elena and Caroline walk into the maternity ward. It was time for them to face the consequences. She had wallowed and now it was time for answers, real answers. She was still pissed but now had enough control over her anger to have a conversation with them with attacking one or both, but there were no guarantees.

She gets the room number from a nurse that used to know her father. She has to sit through idle small talk, but it gets her where she wants without suspicion. Just as she gets to the hallway to their room she sees him standing right outside the room she assumes is Bonnie's. All of the anger comes rushing back and she stomps over to him. _**Smack!**_ She slaps him right across the face.

"What the fuck!" he screeches before her see who just hit him. "Elena?"

"Yeah did you forget about me? Girl who's been there through all your bullshit only to have you knock up my best friend." She takes a step toward him which causes Damon to immediately take a step back. She's about to take another step but Caroline stops her.

Elena looks at her quizzically. "Trust me, I would love nothing more than to watch Damon get his ass kicked, but that's not what we came here for."

"You're right." She takes a deep breath before turning back to him. _If looks could kill_ runs through his brain. "Can we talk?"

"Depends? Are you going to hit me again?"

"Depends, are you going to piss me off some more?"

"I'm not getting out of this am I?"

"No." Both Caroline and Elena say in unison.

"Alright lead the way."

They end up in the cafeteria. They could still end up making a scene but at least it was away from the halls.

"How long?" She couldn't hold off on that one any longer.

"How long what?" Elena goes to hit him again but he quickly interrupts. "Alright, alright…it was only the one night. We didn't sneak around behind your back."

"Except for the one night," she says anger radiating in her tone.

"Except for the one night."

"Alright, if it was just one night why didn't you tell me? If you knew why she left and that she was pregnant, why didn't you tell me? How the hell did you expect to hide that?"

"I didn't want to hurt you."

"Well you did a great job of that."

"You think I meant for this to happen? You think I meant for you to find out that way? If I could have prevented that trust me I would have, but I didn't even know. I didn't know she was pregnant. I didn't know why she left. And I for damn sure didn't plan on hiding my kid from you. I made a mistake I just didn't realize how much bigger the mistake was."

Elena snorts. "You made a mistake…" she says silently to herself. She snorts again repeating the words in her head until it turns to full on laughter. "You made a mistake." Her tone is sterner now. "Damon a mistake is accidentally putting metal in the microwave and it blows up. A mistake is accidentally leaving you coat at home so you're cold when it gets chilly at night. A mistake is accidentally locking you keys in the car so you can't get in. You made a choice. You chose to sleep with my best friend. You chose to hide from me. And you chose to shut me out for months lying to me. Cheating isn't a mistake, it's a choice that leads to a series of choice all of which _hurt me_. You didn't _accidentally_ do anything so don't sit there and tell me you made a mistake."

They've caught the attention of the patrons of the cafeteria. Damon tries to awkwardly smile his way out of it, but no one is having it. Elena then gets up from her seat glaring at him. "Goodbye Damon,we're done." She throws a key at him. "Here's your house key back, I got my stuff last night." She turns to storm off, but then remembers something. "Oh and tell Bonnie don't bother coming back to the dorm. She's not welcome any more."

* * *

Caroline decided to wait for Elena she was only there for moral support, but then her curiosity gets the best of her. She doesn't even bother knocking before she goes in. She finds Bonnie curled up on her side asleep. She notices the bassinet right next to the bed and decides to take a peek.

She honestly couldn't believe any of this was happening. She felt as though they were in a different dimension or something, but there it was wrapped up in pink blanket with cute chubby cheeks and button nose and steady even breathing. Caroline's face softens at the sight, but then hardens immediately when she sees Bonnie's eyes on her.

"You're awake."

"And you're in my room."

"Yeah well I had to see it with my own eyes." Caroline walks away from the bassinette. "I still can't believe you did this."

"But I did." Bonnie says lowly not looking her in the eye.

"I suspected something was wrong before you left. I thought maybe you were dying and pregnant even crossed my mind, but this. You would never do something like this—betray your best friend. You're Bonnie Bennett, you're loyal to a fault."

Tears start forming in her eyes. "Yeah, well I'm not as perfect as that picture you painted."

"Oh I know, I got that when you left without saying a word to anyone."

"I'm sorry."

"It's too late for that."

"I know, but it still needs to be said." There's a heavy silence between them. "Why'd you come here?"

"Because I want to know why. What is it about Damon Salvatore that just causes girls to throw away their principles? You had those Bonnie. What could he have possible said to get you to betray Elena?" Caroline knew it was ridiculous to be this upset, but it was truly disheartening to see the one person that could always be counted on do something like this with Damon no less.

Bonnie thinks about it and that night and why she truly did it and came up with nothing sufficient. "The best answer I can give you is curiosity."

"Curiosity? Seriously? That's all it took to lower your standards."

"Well that and bourbon, but for the most part, yes."

"Of course alcohol was involved. At least some things make sense. But why didn't you tell me? When we at the doctors. I remember how sick you looked how terrible you felt. I'm your friend too, I would have been here for you."

"I couldn't even look at myself in the mirror let alone you or anyone for that matter! I couldn't let anyone know what I had done. It was too horrible."

"And now?"

"It's still horrible, but I have other things to worry about." Bonnie smiles affectionately at the bassinet filled with her daughter who surprisingly hadn't woken up.

"I honestly don't know what to tell you Bonnie. Part of me gets it, all of it but that doesn't make it any better. I don't think I can be friends with you anymore." Caroline's voice breaks at the end.

Tears start steaming down Bonnie's face. "I understand." She whispers.

"Goodbye Bonnie." Caroline silently leaves the room as Bonnie turns over on her side and sobs. She expected this, but that didn't make it hurt any less. She couldn't just go back as though nothing had happened, she knew there would be consequences and that there would be more to come.

* * *

 **A/N: So that end conversation was originally going to be between Elena and Bonnie, I mean it makes the most logical sense, but my muse said Caroline, so I went with her instead of logic. Lol. Expect the next part soon which is going to be the last part.**


	3. Meaninglessness of Numbers

Bonnie wakes up from her restless slumber with Damon next to her. His eyes are droopy and his head starts falling forward starts falling asleep.

"You can go home you know." She snaps him out of his near slumber. "You didn't have to stay this long. I know we dropped in on you unexpectedly. You can go back to your life."

"Stop that"

"Stop what?"

"Acting like I'm here out of charity. Bonnie, I'm here because I want to and need to be here. What do you think's going to happen once we leave this hospital?"

"I honestly don't know Damon. It's not like I can go back to living in my dorm room and my dad sold the house. I think we have to go back to Atlanta at my mom's. I don't know where that leaves you."

"You both come live at the house with me. Trust me we have the room."

"I don't know about that Damon. I don't really want to depend on you that much and what about Stefan. Doesn't he get a say? Besides, you don't have any baby things like a crib or a car seat. Where is she going to sleep?"

"I can buy those things and you know Stefan wouldn't mind. It's not like you'd be depending on me I mean she is half my responsibility and I think a roof over her head counts and since you're her mother it's kind of a package deal."

"You say that now, but—"

"Just think about it," he says interrupting her, "You wouldn't be a burden and I want you guys there. I can use the company." He chuckles slightly at that last remark.

She's about to respond but is cut off by a soft knock on the door. It slowly opens and Abby Bennett's form comes creeping in holding the stuff Bonnie had prepared and left at home.

"I didn't know if you guys were asleep," she whispers putting the stuff down in a corner. She then walks over to her daughter and kisses her forehead. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine mom. I got the epidural like you suggested and barely felt a thing, but I'm very sore right now. It's like I'm finally feeling all the pain the drugs wouldn't let me, but I think it's far less painful than if I hadn't."

"That's good," she says walking over to the bassinet, "I had one with you and if I had any other kids I would have done it again. They're a godsend." She picks up the baby carefully from her crib as to not wake her up. She cradles her to her chest and studies her features "Well aren't you just a pretty little thing." She starts swaying and bouncing her. "And I'm not just saying that because I don't hold back when the baby's ugly." Bonnie snorts. "Welcome to the world baby girl. It's loud and bright and filled with more heartbreak than you'll ever know, but enough warmth and love to make it worth it." Abby smiles down at her granddaughter adoringly.

They stay like that for a moment while Bonnie and Damon watch how natural she is with her. They were still getting used to holding her without feeling like hey were going to drop her.

Abby breaks the moment and looks to Bonnie smile adorning her face. "Are you sure about this now?"

"One hundred percent," she says with conviction.

Abby give a nod of affirmation. "Well, then does she have a name? I don't want to be calling her baby girl for the rest of her life."

Everyone in the room laughed.

* * *

Abby was lying beside Bonnie in her bed running her fingers through her daughter's hair. Bonnie was mirroring her actions with her own daughter. Damon went to the cafeteria to give them time alone together.

"You know you gave me quite a scare. First I come home to find you gone and then I find out from Damon of all people that you were in Mystic Falls and in labor no less."

"I'm sorry, it was kind of a last minute decision. I felt he needed to know."

"I get that, but you could have at least told someone. You didn't leave a note, you left your cellphone, you didn't even take your bag, that should have been in your car weeks ago."

"I didn't think I'd go into labor. I thought I had time."

"How did that work out?"

"You know it's been a long day, I don't really feel like being reprimanded right now especially since there's nothing I can do about it now."

"I know, I know, I'm sorry, just…don't do that again."

"Yes because I plan on being in this exact situation again."

"Hey, you don't what the future has planned. But I was more talking about this: taking off without telling me. You have more to think about than just yourself imagine if you would have broke down on the highway you would've had no way to call for help."

"I get it. I was stupid, but it worked out in the end. She's here and we're both safe."

"Yes and I'm glad for that." She kisses the side of Bonnie's forehead. "Listen, I got the crib set up in the guest room, well I guess it's not the guest room anymore, which is why it took me so long, but I was thinking about getting your old bassinet from your Grams' house while we're here so she can be close by for the first few weeks."

Bonnie clams up. "I don't know mom."

"I'm sure it's still in the attic. I don't think anyone has touched anything in that house since she died."

"Not that, I don't know about going back with you. Damon offered to let us stay with him."

"Oh." She paused looking at her daughter with uncertainty. "Are you sure you want to do that?"

"Well no, but it's kind of unfair to take her away from him again."

"Yeah, but think about yourself for a second. Do you really want to live here? Raise her here? I know what this town was like when I was here and it'll be far worse for you. Do you really think that's best?"

Bonnie thinks back to Caroline and their conversation earlier and tears start welling in her eyes. She can only imagine getting more of that and as selfish as it sounds she doesn't want that. She starts shaking her head too emotional to get out words.

* * *

Damon walks back in and find Bonnie cradling their daughter. Abby was missing from the room. It looked like she had been crying, but the smile on her face and the look of awe as she stares down at their child make him not ask why. He just plops down next her on the bed and joins her in staring at their daughter.

Her eyes are closed and she opens her mouth in a yawn that melts her parent's hearts. She opens her big eyes at them and is met with adoring smiles. She stretches her tiny arms and legs until she's satisfied and resumes sleeping.

"You know we're going to have to find a name for her right," Damon says breaking the silence.

"I know, I thought about a few while I was pregnant."

"Well let's hear them because I don't have any ideas."

"Okay, I was thinking about Margaret and we'd call her Maggie for short." Bonnie looks down at her baby trying to match the name to her. Damon looks unsure.

"I don't know. I like Maggie, but does she look like one to you?" They look at her features and see if the match with the name Maggie.

"I'm not sure either. Want to hear the other names?"

"Sure."

"Alright I was thinking Delylah, but with a 'Y' and we would call her Lyla or Shelia after my Grams."

"Delylah's beautiful, but do we really want our named after a terrible song and I kind of want her to have a name that's all hers."

"That song wasn't that bad or even at all, and the name existed well before it came out." Bonnie starts to protest.

"Yeah well that's all people will hear when they see her name. And not that _bad_? ' _ohh it's what you do to meee, ohh it's what you do to me_ '," he sings off key.

"Alright, point made, but if you're going to be this picky what names do you have? You can't just shut down mine without replacing them with something."

"I don't know how about Isabella."

"Ugh, nope, way too much Twilight."

"Huh?"

"Seriously, you know _Hey There Delilah_ , but you don't know Twilight. Didn't you have like 12 girlfriends at the time, not one of them made you watch that movie?"

"I guess I blocked it from my memory and to go off your point, it was a name well before it came out."

"And still all anybody will think is Twilight when her name is uttered. You complain about a song barely anybody remembers well think about a craze that ruled everything for a half a decade. No, just no."

"Okay, point made, but we still don't have a name for her."

"Yeah well, you didn't try very hard."

"I'm not exactly equipped for this. Baby names was never really high on the list of things I thought about."

"Well me neither, but I figured it out it's not so hard."

"Alright if it' not so hard I want you to look at her and tell me what name she should have."

She takes the challenge. Staring down at her going through a list of names, some she saw in a baby book and others she had cataloged in the back of her head. Finally, she finds the perfect one.

"Maybelle," Bonnie says softly.

Damon looks at their daughter and matches the name with her face. "That kind of came out of nowhere but I think I can work with that. What about her middle name?"

"I want you to come up with that I want you to give her something," _before we_ _leave_ "and please real suggestions, no Krystal's with a "K" or any other stripper names."

"Noted." He goes through the same process as she did thinking of names that flow nicely. He rules out ex-girlfriend's names quickly and starts thinking of Bonnie. "Jade," he says with complete seriousness.

"I said no stripper names."

"No seriously think about it. Maybelle Jade, MJ, Maybelle Jade Salvatore. It sounds nice doesn't it and it fits her."

Bonnie stares down whispering the names to her. "Maybelle Jade, is that your name?" She affectionately runs her fingers down her daughter's cheek. She responds by smacking her lips together and turning her head.

"I think we have a name," She smiles up at him.

"Welcome to the world, Maybelle Jade Salvatore."

"Bennett Salvatore."

"I'm sorry, I meant 'welcome to the world Maybelle Jade Bennett Salvatore'. It's gonna suck, but I'll try my best to make life as great as possible. But no matter what know that I love you and always will." They both take in the moment. Damon finds the moment perfect and can only get better with one more thing. "Have you thought about what we talked about earlier?"

Bonnie nods her head giving him a sad smile. "Yes, I have."

* * *

Damon's at the vending machine trying to get a soda, trying being the optimum word, he's pressed the button about fifty times and nothing has come out. He takes to beating the machine. First, he simply pushes the front watching it cave in and when that doesn't work her starts kicking it, hard. Eventually, he starts hitting it like a madman so far gone that he's forgotten why he was hitting it in the first place. That's how Abby finds him.

"I take it she told you."

Her voice is enough to snap him out of his trance. "Yeah, yeah she did." His voice is strained.

"You know taking it out on that vending machine won't help."

"It helps a little just be happy I'm not drinking."

Abby put her hands up in mock surrender. "If you say so, but you and I both know that you're not dealing with anything."

"I shouldn't have to!"

Abby gives not physical reaction to his shouts. "Well, Damon Salvatore I think you've just gotten your first lesson in life not being fair."

"That's really what you think of me?"

"Yes, you've been handed everything your entire life. While my daughter had to lose some of her college years, lose her friends, and lose her home, you got to stay here completely oblivious a privilege she wasn't granted. She's had to deal with the brunt of the consequences of a mistake you both made. How's that fair?"

"You think I wanted things to happen like this? She chose to deal with them by herself instead of just coming to me. We could have worked something out."

"And why do you think she chose that? Why do you think she didn't come to you in the first place?"

That took him aback. He never really thought about why she didn't come to him. Was she afraid he'd reject her? Given his state of mind six months ago he wasn't so sure if he wouldn't have. He probably would have told her to get rid of it and given her the money too. She was his best friend but was she worth losing everything for? Now he wasn't really given much of a choice, nor did he care. Nothing much had mattered to him since she left and now he had something that meant everything.

"You didn't think about that did you?"

"No, no I didn't, but it doesn't matter now. She's here, our daughter's here and we should be together. It's what's best. We're family now. I'm trying to do what's best for my family."

"And I'm trying to do what's best for mine."

"And that's breaking us apart?"

"For now, yes. You may not be my favorite person right now I'm not doing this to hurt you Damon and neither is she. She's coming home with me Damon. I know it's not ideal, but it's what's best and if you thought about anything but yourself you'd see that too."

"Now all of sudden you want to be a good mother to her? You spend most her life away and now you decide to intervene? How would you know what's best for her?"

"You know, I'm going to let that slide because you're angry, but think about this. She came to me. You and this town drove her to come and find me. I'm not the enemy here." And with that, she left him in the hall alone with his thoughts.

* * *

"I really wish you wouldn't go. Why do you have to leave?" Damon said pleadingly. They were outside his house at her car. She had long since been released from the hospital and decided to stay with Damon for a few days to completely recuperate before making the long 6-hour trek back to Atlanta. Also, she wanted to give Damon and Maybelle a little more time together—it was the least she could do.

"Because no one wants me here Damon. I am the girl who slept with her best friend's boyfriend and have the evidence of it on my arm. Call me selfish, a bitch, or whatever, but can only deal with so much. At least there they'll just look at me as just a young mother, not a betraying backstabbing bitch."

"Who care about what they think?" he starts indignantly.

"You don't get to say that because you don't have to deal with the same things I do. You're a man, hell, you're Damon. Having a baby out of wedlock from cheating on your girlfriend is expected of you. They just brush it off as typical behavior and when you step up to be a father to your daughter you'll get praised for not being a deadbeat. I don't get that. I get called a man-stealer, trapping him with a baby. I get no praise for taking on motherhood because to them it's my duty, but that won't stop them from criticizing my mothering skills or saying things like 'I should have given her up' whereas you would get 'he's trying the hardest he can'. It's part of the reason I left to begin with. It's different for women, it's different for me, so excuse me if I don't take your 'I don't care' attitude because it's not as simple as that."

"What about our daughter? Have you thought about what leaving is doing to her?" He's on his last thread. He knows she's right, but he has to try.

"I have and I'm saving her from the consequences of our mistakes and having to hear those comments, having people expecting her to screw up at every corner. I'm leaving for both of us."

"But you're leaving me, both of you."

"I know, but it's better this way and it's not like you can't come see us. You know exactly where we'll be."

"Because moving across state-lines is just so easy."

"I never said it'd be easy, but it could be worse."

She has him there. "Can I at least say bye to her."

"Of course, I would never keep her from you."

Damon refrains from commenting that she already did. She takes Maybelle out of the car seat and gently hands her over to Damon. He's still not used to holding something so tiny and alive, but he manages. She's awake for once and staring straight at him. Her eyes are that same blue hue every baby has, but he thinks hers are the prettiest. Whenever people would talk about their kids with pride he'd always brush them off, but now he gets it, he gets the pride of wanting to show off someone you love with all your heart, especially when they're apart of you. He'll still brush people off when they talk about their kids, but now it's because none come close to his.

Damon holds her close to his chest and plants small kisses on her face. She wiggles a little enhance his fear of dropping her, but not enough to give her back. He takes in her smell and memorizes it because he knows it's going to be a while before he sees her again. Tears start forming in his eyes. "It's ridiculous how much I already miss her, she's only been alive for like five days."

"I know it's crazy how someone so small can take over your entire world." He nods in agreement.

He rocks her swaying side to side while he takes her in for the last moment. "Goodbye, baby girl. I love you." He kisses the side of her head one last time before handing her back to Bonnie. "Be good for mommy," he says teary-eyed as Bonnie puts her in the car.

After she's sure Maybelle's secure she closes the car door and turns to Damon. "Bye Damon." She reaches up on her tippy toes and kisses him on the cheek. "Take care of yourself, really," she says earnestly and then gets into the car. He stays in the same spot long after she's left. It's worse than the last time, she's taken more than a piece this time, but his whole life.

* * *

He's still in his same spot right in front of the fireplace except this time without whiskey. He doesn't know what he'll have to be prepared for next and he hopes to be sober for it. For the first time in a week, he hears someone at the door. A part of him hopes that it's Bonnie with his daughter coming to stay with him so they can be a real family, but she made it very clear that that wouldn't be happening. He doesn't really care who's at the door he just hopes it isn't Elena to hit him some more and remind him why he was in this situation. Why his stupidity has left him alone in a large empty house.

"Still moping I see." Now that's a voice he hasn't heard in a while. He turns his head to get a full glimpse at his brother. They've never really been all that close, but he welcomes the company.

"Yeah, well, not much else to do."

"Oh, I bet." He walks around the couch and sits right next to his brother. "Hey, did you have a baby?" Damon looks at his brother with his mouth agape. "Ahh, he remembers. Mind telling me why I had to get that information from _Caroline_?"

"I was going to tell you when we got home, but you weren't here."

"Yeah, probably because I don't live here."

Damon's eyebrows rose in confusion. "When did you move out?"

"Umm a few months ago. You don't remember the moving van, decidedly not helping while your girlfriend and her friend did. How drunk were you?"

If that wasn't the question of the century. How drunk was he? How drunk has he been since she left to not notice his own brother leave? He knew it was quiet, but he just thought that was because Stefan was only there during the hours he was asleep.

"Why did you move out?" he quickly says avoiding the subject altogether, "please tell me you didn't move to Vegas to become a showgirl?" His sense of humor is back, kind of, he's not sure if he has anymore jokes left in him.

Stefan laughs. "Same old Damon and no, I didn't move to Vegas. You really don't remember any of this?

"No brother I don't."

"I knew something was off with you, but I didn't think it was this bad."

"It's not that bad."

"Really? Please tell me what you consider _that bad_ because forgetting your own brother moved out seems pretty high on the list of things that are that bad to me."

"Well, it's not like you died and I forgot that."

"But I could have died and you wouldn't have known."

"Look let's not get into the logistics of things. You moved out, I now know, and now we can move on from it."

"Yes let's move on. You want to tell me about cheating on Elena with Bonnie?"

"Not really."

"You can only avoid so many things, Damon."

"Fine, I slept with Bonnie. We were drunk, silently agreed to never let happen again and it didn't. What more do you want?"

"I don't know how about the events that led to her on right outside our door and in labor?"

"You know about as much as I do on that front brother. And it's _my_ door, you moved out remember."

"This is still my home Damon. This is still where I grew up."

"Yeah, and you decided to leave."

"All of us can't be Peter Pan Damon. Some of us want to grow up, get jobs and start their own lives. They don't want to be tethered to the past forever."

"I'm not tethered to the past."

"Oh, and what have you been doing since father died? Sitting around in an empty house drinking yourself into an early grave thinking about how things used to be."

He had him there, but the details weren't quite right. He had been thinking about how things used to be, how he enjoyed life and how he should be enjoying it more without Giuseppe criticizing him at every corner, but he couldn't—one part was missing.

"Alright, but things are going to change." _They have to change._

"How? From where I'm sitting you're doing the same exact thing."

"See this is why I didn't tell you. I wasn't in the mood for a lecture. I already had one crappy father I don't need a replacement."

"Finally, an answer."

"What?"

"As to why you didn't tell me."

"Yeah well, you can get a little judgmental."

"And it really wouldn't matter unless you were thinking the same things in the back of your head."

"I didn't know your major was in psychology?" Damon says indignantly.

"It's not but I've known you my entire life. I know what makes you tick and I know what does and doesn't get to you."

"If you know me so well how come you didn't know I was that bad or why?"

"Because I thought you could handle it," he says thoughtfully.

"And that's fine. It's not your job to make sure I'm alright just like it's not your job to make sure I fall in like. Contrary to your beliefs I'm a grown up and I am responsible for myself."

"Well then start acting like it." Stefan gets up and to head the door. "And at least send me some pictures of my niece. At this point, I feel like she's some figment of everyone's imagination."

"I can show you some right now. I got a ton at the hospital and quite a few while they stayed here." He decides to stay. There's a smile on his brother's face that Stefan hadn't seen in a long time as he brings up the photos and he can't help the optimism that rises in him. Things may not be alright but they were going to be.

* * *

After Stefan left things at the boarding house were slow. He tried to stay away from bourbon, but it was hard. He called Bonnie every day and facetimed with Maybelle. She sent pictures of every little thing. It surprised him he never got annoyed by them, but every picture made him feel a little bit less like he was missing out. It helped, but none of it was what he really wanted. He wanted them with him, he wanted the sleepless nights—he was already up might as well make it worth it—the diaper changes, but most of all he wanted Bonnie. When she was staying with him things felt like they were starting to go back into place. Refraining from alcohol wasn't a challenge because the necessity for it was gone. He was even surprised by how little Elena's absence from his life hurt him. Granted lately he hadn't been all that invested in their relationship but he worked hard to get her—she was all that he had ever wanted since he was sixteen and had finally earned when he turned 20. All that work and he messes it up in classic Damon fashion and like classic Damon, he didn't care in the end.

He felt bad for what he did to her especially when he thought about someone doing that to his little girl, but none of felt like the mistake it was. It was like Elena told him, it was a choice. He chose to sleep with Bonnie knowing full well that he was tied to Elena—the love of his life—and he still did it. He didn't have the excuse of not being fulfilled in their relationship and seeking for more elsewhere. He just plain and simple wanted Bonnie and he took it selfishly. They both did.

He didn't know when it happened or how it happened but everything felt right with her. There was almost no work involved everything just locked into place. Loving her didn't come with a price and neither did the love her received back. Things just were. At first, he thought he could have his cake and eat it too, but as he quickly realized that wasn't the case. Now everything's a mess and it doesn't know how to fix it—he doesn't know how to get her to come back with him because he can't bring back her reputation, he can't make people respect her, and he can't undo it all, to begin with, but he wouldn't even if he could. Everything happens for a reason.

* * *

Damon knew it was rash, but honestly, it was the sanest thing he's done in months. He didn't think he just drove. His life wasn't in Mystic Falls anymore hadn't been since she left. He was just existing letting life pass him by while his brother and girlfriend had moved on and he basically sat in the same spot and drank. He didn't care where he was just as long as it was with her.

Damon frantically knocks on the door and he hears a baby's cries fill the house. He winces at his tactlessness. Abby answers the door. "Damon, I didn't know you were coming."

"Yeah I didn't exactly call, I can come back later if now isn't a great time." He motions to his car.

"Don't be ridiculous, come in." Abby motions for him to follow her in.

"Actually can you just get Bonnie? I have somethings I really need to say to her." Abby looks at him with suspicion but complies nonetheless. Bonnie walks to the door holding Maybelle and he can't help but break out into a smile. Her face is tear-streaked but she's as adorable as ever. It hurts him a little when she hands her over to Abby, but he came here to tell her something and he wanted to say it before he lost his nerve.

They stand out in the driveway awkwardly. Bonnie looks a little disheveled with her hair pulled back into a messy bun wearing a stained tank top with no bra and sweatpants. He looks about the same as when she left except the bags under his eyes are a deeper shade of purple—he really needed to get some quality sleep.

They stand in silence too long which is why Bonnie decides to break it. "Why are you here Damon?"

"Because I had something I needed to tell you and it couldn't be done over the phone."

"Okay, are you ever going to tell me or are we just going to stand out here until the end of time."

"I love you," he nearly shouts at her.

Bonnie looks at him wide-eyed taken aback by his statement.

"And not in a _you're my best friend_ kind of way or _you're the mother of my child_ way either," he continues, "I'm in love you. Everything sucks without you, everything always sucked without you."

He stares off into the distance for a moment figuring out how to formulate what he's going to say next. "My life was miserable when you left the first time. It was like you took a piece of me with you and I wanted it back immediately and tried filling it with booze, but now I realize you were the only thing that could fill it and that I want you to keep it because it was always yours."

He looks her in the eyes unwavering. "I don't know exactly when you invaded my life this way but you did and you were meant to. We were meant to sleep together and were meant to have Maybelle because it was always meant to be you and me."

He starts pacing in nervousness. "I know our situation sucks right now and we're nowhere near a place where this could work, but I'm will to do whatever it takes to get you back, both of you back. I'll move here and get my own place, hell I'll even move in with your mom. I'll get a job something I never thought I would do." He stops and with that unwavering conviction he continues, "I'll leave everything behind and make a life here with you because what's the point if you guys aren't there."

The tension is heavy between them and for a while neither of them speaks.

"Wow, that's a lot." Bonnie takes a moment to gather her thoughts. "I honestly don't really know what to say. I get it. I felt it too, the shift, but…" she trails off. "Damon, you were the first thing I've ever been selfish with," she says with a newfound conviction, "and though it didn't happen in the best circumstances it's still the best decision I ever made because now I have her. I have her to think about and needs come before mine, but that's not why I'm saying yes. Obviously how can I say no to that? Us being a family. We obviously have a lot, _a lot_ to work on, but I love you too. I didn't want to and I tried to fight it and for a while I was. But here you are, and there's nothing stopping me. It's my turn to be selfish." She goes up and cradles his face in her hands. "I love you."

He wastes no time and kisses her. It's a slow kiss, a soft one, none with the passion from before but this one's better, this one's home.

* * *

 **A/N: So this is the end as of right now, I may add more but it would just be little vignettes of their lives after this, but I like that parallels between the beginning and end, so I might not. I know some of you wanted this to go on longer, but honestly, I wanted to end it here while the story still had a point because otherwise I'd just be adding chapters that would lead nowhere and it would go unfinished—I don't have the greatest track record with finishing fics. I hope you all enjoyed it because I enjoyed writing it.**

 **P.S. If anyone was wondering about the name it came from a random name generator based off the parents names and Maybelle was the one I liked best. Jade came from Bonnie's eye color and I liked the initials MJ.**


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